Farmer Me

I woke up  this morning to the strangest sound. It was this rhythmic high pitched squeal.  Kind of a "Cree-Cree". Silence,  then another "Cree-Cree". I stayed in bed willing the sound to stop, and it would for a while. Then just as I was drifting off again, "Cree-Cree". Finally I gave up, and went to investigate. I thought maybe someone was having an odd dream. Trying to sing in their sleep. Laura was silent. The boys were quiet as can be. Buffy was nestled next to Gavin, dead to the world. After puzzling for a while, I realized it was my rooster. Trying on his Cock-a-doodle-doo. He's got a bit of work to do if he wants to impress anyone. But he's doing okay in the volume department. I guess I had better start getting to bed a little earlier if he's going to be up at 5:10 am. Sigh...

It just cracked me up when Laura named him Pecker. It still does. Every. single. time. I say his name. I'm so mature, ya know. This morning he truly started living up to that name. He's quite amorous, to put it mildly. Poor Midget. She is easy prey for him, and he is taking full advantage. I am fascinated by all of this, and feel like a voyeur every time I look into the backyard now.

When I looked at my plans for today, I was surprised. I've changed quite a bit this past year, without really noticing until now. On my list for today:

Clean out chicken coop
Work on nesting boxes
Revamp compost bins
Meet at school regarding School Garden
Arrange a compost delivery
Work on Family Garden

Last spring I did a bit of gardening, chickens were still a dream, and the school garden existed only in my imagination. How did I get where I am today?

Reading had something to do with it.

Some good books I read this year~
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle  A must read for everyone, I do believe. Hurray for eating local and creating a positive food culture.
Harvest for Hope  Jane Goodall rocks. Truly. She hammered home the point that other creatures shouldn't needlessly suffer for our own selfish benefit. I have just about returned to my old vegetarian ways.   
Closing the Food Gap  This book was an eye opener for me. It explains what food insecurity is, and got me excited in community gardening.
 The Art of Simple Food  Alice Waters did a fine job in this cookbook, teaching the basics of good food. She emphasizes eating locally, and the shows how to do it well.

Now I'm putting much of what I learned through these books into practice.

I attended a school garden training, and applied for a grant. I formed a garden committee, and got started with the whole process. Last week we were notified that we are receiving $5,000 in grant money to go towards the garden. Woo Hoo!! This grant is significant on many different levels for me. I am thrilled beyond belief that we have the means to dream big and do wonderful things for our school, and firmly believe that we will be able to create a garden that will make a difference in the the lives of the students in our community. On a personal level, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. It's nice to try for something and be successful. I am excited, energized and focused on such a positive task. I'm loving it.

And then there's the family garden. My mom has a lot of sunny, easy to garden property. Her husband asked me this winter if I wanted to go in on a large garden with him, and I said "Sure!"  He bought the rototiller, I brought my dreams, and we got started a few weeks ago.

When I look at this picture, the garden doesn't look so big. But when I am working in it, it feels enormous. Overwhelming at times. When I am weeding I have to keep saying to myself "Don't look up, don't look up." Because when I do look up, I wonder how on earth we can plant and keep this whole thing under control. It's going to be a lot of work, but I can't imagine a better way to spend my time. Sitting in the dirt, talking with my brother and sisters, spending time with my mom. It's all so peaceful and positive and hopeful. Most of the time anyway. There's enough time spent out there that important topics can be debated, like should we put an in-ground pool in or not (for the record,I say no).

I am loving this garden because even though it's just my family, we have a big family, and it feels like a community garden. There are lots of people working in it, and a loads of people will (hopefully) be fed by it.

So. If you are wondering where I am, I'm probably in the garden. Or hanging with my chickens.  I might be at the library, trying to learn more about this garden thing, and how to do it right. Or maybe I'm sitting, spinning my wool dreaming about my next garden. I've got some plans that involve our town, a vacant lot, and some hooligans that roam the streets. They might not know it yet, but they are gardeners at heart. I'm quite sure of it. But that's fodder for another post...

Happy Gardening!

 

Comments

[Heidi]

Would it make you feel any better to know that I laugh whenever I read your rooster's name? Because apparently I have the same sense of humor as a 13-year-old boy. LOL

[Em]

Oh - I LOVE your big garden!!!! My dad had a large-ish garden when I was growing up, and I loved to walk around in the freshly tilled soil with my bare feet! I would love to be a part of a community-ish garden if it were possible. There is a large empty lot downtown, and I wish I could get a garden going there... (more big plans in my head - I know) I love the name pecker for your rooster too - ha ha ha!!! Makes everyone laugh I bet!

[Roxanne]

Oh, I am so glad I'm not the only immature one around here! I think milk came out my nose the first time I read your rooster's name!

I'll be checking my library for your list of books. Everything you have written about sounds so wonderful and exciting! I need to get outside and dig!!